"I'm Sorry Your Granddaughter Hates You. Read the Book of Mormon"

¡Hola Familia y Amigos!

I was listening to Hermana Steed make her nightly phone calls to all the members she and her companion have been visiting this past week when I heard her say that sentence. Ahahahaha I don't think I have laughed that hard since being out here in the field. I hope the Spirit carried that to Yolanda's heart in a way that didn't offend her because the way Hermana Steed said it was pretty straight up. I keep telling Hermana Steed ONE day we'll know Spanish and won't have to say things awkwardly but to be totally honest I hope Hermana Steed never learns because she's my comic relief out here.

So this week was a TOTAL bust. All the missionaries that were "born" with me (came to the mish at the same time as me) had to go to Salta to do a ton of paperwork to become legal citizens! Sooooo Hermana Steed, Hermana Rennick, Elder Rodriguez, and I caught an 8 hour bus ride to Salta on Tuesday. We spent the night in Salta and then spent 6 hours Wednesday morning at what felt like the equivalent of a DMV, filling out papers, sitting, and sweating. Steed has been having a TON of medical issues so the mission president's wife told us to head over to a hospital and get tests done. So we spent the last 6 hours of Wednesday in a hospital. I thought having an INVESTIGATOR talk to me was bad, try having a DOCTOR! Steed, Rennick, and I understood maybe 15% of what the doctor's told us to do. Steed got an X-Ray, blood drawn, and a lottttt of instructions for meds to take. It honestly just got to the point where we all looked at each other and laughed. The doctor's told Steed to return to the hospital Thursday to have more tests done so we spent the night in Salta again and crashed the zone conference down there before Steed had to go back to the hospital. President Orquera sent Rennick and I back to Santiago because he didn't realize we had been in a trio in Salta this whole time. He and his wife thought Steed was in Santiago with her companion. Sooooo we ditched Steed in Salta and headed back to our companions. While Steed finished up medical tests in Salta, Hermana V. and I were in a trio with her companion, Hermana Hall. We worked in Santiago Centro (my area) for a day and then took a bus to Termas, the area of Hermana Hall and Steed. Hermana Hall had been away from Termas for 5 days so we worked in her area and waited for Hermana Steed to arrive from Salta. We were supposed to pick up Hermana Steed at the terminal at 11pm but at 10:30pm we heard a super loud pounding on the door. It was Hermana Steed. She had sprinted from the terminal to her apartment. She was THAT done and I don't blame her. She walked into the apartment, threw her bags on the floor and said, "Jacie Kay Steed from the United States would not have done that!" Her companion just about passed out from shock. She's been through it ALL and President told her that her next area would be in Salta, close to the mission office and good hospitals. I'm really sad that she's being transferred so far away. I guess I have to grow up and be a real missionary now. It's been such a tender mercy having Steed so close by during my training.

Speaking of training, T-minus ONE WEEK! By this point next week, I'll have a new companion and maybe a new area. I have no idea what's coming and my emotions are everywhere. Everyone keeps teasing me and telling me I'm going to train but that's impossible because Heavenly Father knows my skills are not there yet. But I'm ready to get this mission thing REALLY going. Ready to learn new things and become the person Heavenly Father needs me to be! Let's get this bread.

These last two weeks I've been studying a lot and my testimony has sky-rocketed. It's funny because I didn't really think my testimony could grow in the ways it has since being out here in Argentina. But man am I grateful. I have loved teaching our progressing investigators and watching them allow the gospel of Jesus Christ change their lives. I know with all my heart we have a loving Heavenly Father who wants us to experience joy and happiness while here on the earth. He loves us SO much that He calls prophets to guide and help us find our way back to Him. In the scriptures, we read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever which means that He is STILL continuing to reveal direction and guidance to a prophet...for His children, US! There is a prophet who receives revelation today! The greatest prophet to have ever lived was our Savior, Jesus Christ. While upon the earth, Jesus Christ established His church. It was established with 3 basic pillars; a prophet, 12 apostles, and the priesthood. With the crucifixion of Christ and the death of His 12 apostles, there was no one upon the face of the earth to use the priesthood and the church therefore fell. The teachings of Jesus Christ, which were compiled into scripture we refer to as the Bible, were slowly corrupted and distorted to fit various opinions and interpretations, which led to the formation of various churches and religions. Over time, people began looking for the true church, the one Christ had established when He was alive. We refer to this period of time as "The Reformation", when people stood up against the churches and tried to compile what they believed was correct doctrine. The only problem is that there was no one on the face of the earth who had the priesthood, or the authority to establish Christ's church once again. No prophet, apostles, or priesthood. This is why we needed a "Restoration" not a reformation. How grateful I am, young Joseph Smith took upon himself the invitation extended in the Bible, in James 1:5, to ask God which of all the many churches at that time was true. I am SO extremely grateful the Church of Jesus Christ was RESTORED! I am so grateful for the blessings I have seen in my life and the lives of others because of it! We are SO BLESSED!

That's really it for this week. Hermana Velazquez and I have 6 more days together and we're both pretty bummed about it. But, I know she has to bless some other hermanas lives so I have to let her go! She has been so patient with me and has taught me so much.

I love you all! Hope everything is going well wherever you are! Gracias for all the prayers and letters and conference talks and scriptures and pictures and funny stories! I love it all!

Love love loveeeeeee,

Hermana McKinlay